“Hey, Olivia. I see Cash is still not feeling in a forgiving mood. Not that I think you were part of that Ciara’s story.”
“He thinks I told her things, but I swear to you both I didn’t do that. I have no idea how she found out details about the fantasy rooms, but it wasn’t me,” I sobbed, unable to stop the tears from streaming down my cheeks again. Drying my eyes, I added, “I told Cash all that too, but he won’t listen.”
“My brother’s stubborn,” Stefan said with a smile. “Don’t worry. Once we figure out who was behind this, he’ll warm up again.”
I hung my head, embarrassed I couldn’t keep it together in front of these two men. “I don’t think so. He was so distant toward me you’d swear we’d never been anything but strangers to one another.”
“That’s how you can tell you got to him. When Cash is hurt, he goes into himself. It’s like he presses a button and the walls just go up around him.”
It didn’t help to think I’d gotten to him as the memory of his iciness replayed in my mind. Never before had anyone shut me out so completely and so effortlessly, or at least it seemed that way.
“You can deal with Cash later, but for now, who do you think could have been Ciara’s source?” Kane asked.
I shook my head. “I have no idea. I’ve never seen her since that day in his office.”
“Well, I saw her Monday night outside with some guy. Tall, dirty blond hair, acted like a jackass when he couldn’t get in. They seemed very interested in one another, but he couldn’t be her source since he couldn’t even get in the door.”
Kane’s words rang in my ears. “Tall with dirty blond hair? Was he wearing a black watch with a huge face?”
“Yeah. You know him?”
Before I could answer, Stefan slammed his hand down on the bar. “Jake! After Cash made me void his membership the other day, I knew Richfield was pissed. I told him to just let Cash calm down, that it likely wasn’t anything that had to be permanent, but he threatened to make him pay for what he’d done. I figured he was just blowing off steam.”
I raised my hand to my face to cover the last of the bruise that hadn’t completely faded from my cheek. “Jake’s all about blowing off steam these days, it seems.”
Stefan leaned down and narrowed his eyes to look at me. “Did something happen with Jake and you? Is that what made Cash go all scorched earth on him?”
Nodding, I looked away, embarrassed. “Yeah. It’s no big deal.”
“Fuck it isn’t. Jake hit you? If I’d have known, I’d have kicked Richfield’s ass the minute I got off the phone with Cash. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m more worried about what Ciara Danson’s article is going to do to the club than a bruise or two from some jackass. Isn’t there anything that can be done about it?”
“I think it’s time for me to pay Miss Danson a visit,” Kane said with a smile. “You know, to convince her and her boss that the article needs to go.”
I could only imagine what Kane would do to the flirty Ciara Danson. She’d likely try to use her feminine charms on him, but I didn’t see that ploy working on someone like Kane. But if it was Jake who talked to her, I wanted to hear the truth from her firsthand.
“I want to go with you,” I said, forgetting how scary this brother could be. He looked over at me and raised his eyebrows, like I’d just made the most bizarre suggestion, but merely shrugged after a moment. “Since Jake likely did this because of me, I’d like to know for sure if he’s her source.”
“That’s fine with me. We might even stop over at his place if I’m in the mood after talking to her. Just so you know.”
Stefan moved to join us, but Kane held his hand up to stop him. “You stay here with Cash. I’ll let you know what happens.”
“I’m not exactly the person he wants to be around when his love life is crashing down around him, you know?”
I shot him a knowing glance as Kane answered, “And you think he’d be happier with you and Olivia going somewhere together?”
A sly smile spread across Stefan’s lips. “Point taken. Give Jake a shot for me. Better yet, I’ll handle that myself.” He turned toward me and put his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry about Cash, Olivia. It’ll all work out.”
As I turned to follow Kane, I mumbled, “I hope so. Right now, I can’t see it.”
* * *
Spending time with Kane turned out to be far different than what I’d expected. The largest and scariest Club X brother said almost nothing to me the entire time we rode to the offices of All The Rage in his black 69 Mustang, but strangely enough, the silence didn’t make me uncomfortable. Unlike with Cash, Kane not talking felt right.
We walked into the building where Ciara Danson worked and found her sitting in a cubicle on the second floor. The look on her smarmy face showed she recognized me immediately, but I noticed unlike when she’d come to interview Cash, she wasn’t dressed so her coworkers could see all the blessings that God had given her. She’d have to use something else if she intended to charm this brother.
“I guess you saw the article, Miss Lucas. Your boss is probably very unhappy, but I’d have thought he’d come here himself instead of sending his secretary and one of the club’s bouncers.”
Amused by her ignorance, I smiled and said, “Ciara, this is Kane. He’s one of the owners of Club X.”
She looked him up and down, obviously liking what she saw, and smacked her lips. “Nice to meet you, Kane. I’m sorry, but I didn’t realize there was a third brother involved in the club. All my source told me about was Cassian and Stefan. If they had told me about you…”
Kane stared down at her with his usual steely look, unfazed by her attempt at flirting with him. “Let me tell you what’s going to happen, Miss Danson. I’m going to turn around and go speak to your boss. When he asks me why I think you should get rid of that article, I’m going to explain to him just who Ciara Danson is. Seems you’ve had a few run-ins with the law, and from what I hear, that degree of yours isn’t all you claim it to be. Florida State is a big school, but with the right man searching, it’s easy to find out the truth.”
The tone in his deep, raspy voice should have told her to stop while she was ahead, but Ciara wasn’t going to give up so easily. Looking up at him with her big blue eyes, she said syrupy sweet, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but perhaps we could meet over a few drinks and discuss this.”